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  • Essay / Comparative Analysis of Leon Bix Beiderbecke and Louis Armstrong

    The popularity of jazz over the years has been largely influenced by key figures who changed the landscape of musical progression. Leon Bix Beiderbecke and Louis Armstrong were influential cornetists who both created distinct playing styles that would impact generations of musicians to come. Although both Beiderbecke and Armstrong had important roles to play in the history of jazz, they both came from completely different backgrounds, which led to their respective styles of music and popularity as musicians. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The two artists had very different upbringings that defined their lives. Bix Beiderbecke was born into a middle-class German family in Davenport, Iowa in 1903. From an early age, Beiderbecke demonstrated incredible musical prowess due to his innate ability to play the piano. An important influence in his earlier musical education was the exposure his mother gave him to the French composers Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy, which would appear in his musical work later in his life. Just as he learned to play the piano, Beiderbecke decided to play the cornet after hearing Armstrong on a riverboat. Beiderbecke would then learn to play using recordings from the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Beiderbecke, from his earliest years, discovered that music was a temptress he could not resist. This would cause him problems in the long run, as he would find himself dropping out of school to pursue music. His parents, less enamored of his love of music, declared that Bix should be sent to a preparatory school in Chicago; something that was deemed an appropriate way to end his habits. The irony of this action was that they transferred Beiderbecke to Chicago, a hotbed of jazz that would not stem his love for music but intensify it. Bix was soon after kicked out of the academy for sneaking out one too many times to listen to the music of heavyweights like Armstrong and Joe 'King' Oliver. Destined to happen sooner or later, Bix soon found himself free to pursue his musical career and the first band he joined was an eight-piece group called The Wolverine Orchestra. Shortly after in his life, Bix achieved relative fame by becoming a popular cornetist in two orchestras. The first is Jean Goldkette's orchestra. The second orchestra that really made Beiderbecke famous was that of Paul Whiteman; in this orchestra, Bix Beiderbecke toured across the country and his unique sound on the cornet was something many strived to achieve. Beiderbeckes' life was short-lived, as his drinking problems would soon cause him to die from alcohol-related pneumonia. Although his life was short-lived, his legacy was not, and Beiderbecke would influence many generations of musicians to come. Louis Armstrong's education contrasted with that of Beiderbecke. Armstrong grew up in one of the poorest areas of New Orleans, in a boys' home. It was at home that Armstrong would make his first real foray into the world of music, which would radically change his life. Armstrong, under the tutelage of Peter Davis, the house music teacher would be encouraged to join the boys' band, which would help him develop his musical skills. Armstrong was a diamond in the rough who caught the attention of cornetist Joe 'King' Oliver. Oliver was a legendary New Orleans cornetist himself and tookArmstrong under his wing realizing he had the potential for much greater things. Armstrong quickly became an integral part of King Oliver's band and joined Oliver on a journey to the jazz mecca of Chicago. In Chicago, Armstrong began to make his mark playing with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band and even recording the song Dippermouth Blues which was a tribute to his iconic smile. Armstrong then decided to take a new direction by starting his own group Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven. Armstrong would continue to lead bands and perform well into the 1960s. He died in his sleep in 1971 following an unfortunate heart attack. Armstrong's death, although tragic, showed the tremendous impact that music had on his life; he picked up the horn as a child and held it close until he was in his sixties. His legacy will live on as a tribute to his love of music. It was said of Armstrong that "if the less successful masterpieces he created in the late 1920s...were the only available example of Armstrong's art, he would still be considered like... a monumental milestone in jazz. » Both musicians had a considerable impact on the jazz scene with their respective styles which would influence many subsequent generations. Armstrong had what many would describe as a hot jazz approach and Beiderbecke had a cool jazz approach. There are many factors that would help define their music and set it apart from the rest. Armstrong on cornet had a preference for mid to high registers and he had a big brassy tone on the cornet. This type of control over the cornet is what gave the Armstrong cornet its characteristic full-bodied sound. Additionally, Armstrong's rhythm evolved greatly from the constraints of the early ragtime piano rhythm by incorporating swinging eighth note patterns and syncopated rhythm patterns that gave the music its unique swinging quality. Another thing that separated Armstrong from other musicians was his unique singing style which early on, due to an incident during the recording of the song Heebie Jeebies, led him to become the pioneer of the art of scat. One Armstrongs band member likened the event to "like wildfire, sparking a scat singing craze." What began as a source of controversy quickly became the source of admiration and was ranked among his finest works. Perhaps one of Armstrong's most significant contributions was his approach to improvisation that would change the landscape of jazz music. Armstrong moved away from the traditional constraints of New Orleans group improvisations by popularizing solo improvisation. The solo improvisation showed that a thoughtful solo could be just as moving as the group counterparts. Armstrong was one of the best early soloists and this is evident in his magnificent rhythm, double solo breaks, high note endings and spontaneity that many artists hope to emulate. It soon became clear that the future of jazz lay in the solo improvisation that Armstrong had pioneered. What helped establish Louis Armstrong's legacy was the combination of his excellent musicianship and his willingness to experiment beyond the traditional molds of jazz. Armstrong established new rules that showed that music did not need to be defined with traditional rhythmic patterns, group improvisations, and simple vocal accompaniments. Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke brought a different toolbox to jazz and, compared to Armstrong, it was clear that Beiderbecke did not possess the same formal training and technique. The lack of formal training of »..